


Prey

by ClaireFisher



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Birds, F/M, Fights, Halloween (sorta of), Happy Ending, Love, Prey - Freeform, Romance, Set somewhere in season 5, Shules, slow dance, the neighborhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27315673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireFisher/pseuds/ClaireFisher
Summary: The only thing Shawn knew was that, once he set foot in Jules' apartment, there to borrow her eyeliner so he could return to his place to finish getting ready, he realized something was wrong. From her living room’s window, he saw a flock of angry birds flash through the sky, setting his stomach in an unpleasant loop, almost as if they predicted the storm about to fall.
Relationships: Juliet O'Hara/Shawn Spencer
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Prey

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> So, I wasn't planning on posting anything today, giving the fact that I don't celebrate Halloween. Instead, today my family celebrates Reformation Day, but, a few days ago I had this very weird dream where, among a lot of random scenes, I dreamed of a Halloween party where Shawn was dressed as a pirate and was really bummed because he had fought with Jules.
> 
> Then, this fic was born.
> 
> Also, I can't say I'm a fan of "The Neighbourhood", but this song (Prey) it's so catching and I love the lyrics, and always wanted to write a piece based on them, so I decided to mash it here, I hope it turned out fine, and, if you have never listened to this song, I encourage you to do so. I like it very much! 
> 
> And, even if I mention Halloween, the focus is not really it (I'm so sorry for those who love this theme and day) but I hope it comes as a fluffy reading for you all. I also apologize for the lack of anything scaring but I, unfortunately, scare very easily so this genre isn't one I tend to explore. 
> 
> All that said, I hope you all enjoy it, and please, leave a comment if you feel like it! I'll love to hear your opinions, thoughts, suggestion, or anything else! 
> 
> Thank you all for reading <3

**As long as you notice**

**I'm hoping that you'll keep your heart open**

**I'll keep mine open too**

**If you don't ask, I won't tell**

**Just know that just know that**

**It all hurts, it all hurts just the same**

How it all had come to this Shawn wasn’t sure, but if the clutching feeling in his heart indicated anything was that this night was definitely nothing like he had planned. 

In his mind, by now, he would have Juliet in his arms, embracing her slim beautiful figure, magnified by an elegant costume, him swinging them according to the rhythm of a slow ballad played at the end of the party, where most of the guests were either too tired or not safely sober to engage such activities involving coordination or balance. 

Now, to his misery, Shawn found himself wandering around the small park not two blocks away from the Department, kicking the pebbles littering the path leading to a bench shadowed by a tree, which usually was covered in green leaves but now had its branches almost nude, only a few brown and orange ones still hanging tight.

Shawn shivered as the cold night breeze of that iconic fall night involved him, his thin white long sleeve shirt doing little to protect him from the dropping weather. 

Although the park was set in an isolated part of the neighborhood, he still could see a few kids carrying their pumpkin-shaped buckets, candy pouring out of it, as the night was wrapping up, little bodies adorned by the most creative and cheap to the most common and expensive costumes, while their laughter filled the air. 

A bittersweet smile crossed his lip as memories of simpler times, when his only concern would be finding a way to deceive his so infuriating perceptive dad, sneaking his candy from the chosen hidden spot of that year, eating it all at once, and at a furious pace until his stomach started to protest and he was attached to his toilet for the rest of the night and the following day.

Dropping on the nearest seat, Shawn sighed, fingers tunneling in his neat brown hair, perfectly gelled and styled to match his choice of costume for the Department’s Halloween party, which he was the main culprit behind the planning and idea, bothering Chief Vick to a level that left her with either two choices, a restraining order or conceding at his wishes. After all these years and so many adventures together, Karen had learned how to see eye on eye on Spencer’s ideas, realizing that, in that particular one, she had a good opportunity of losing up the tension around the department, her employees still a bit shook after their last case, concluded with the retrieve of little Ayden Miller, but also with four injured cops and the explosion of three police vehicles. 

And so, Shawn planned every single detail, happy to be there, to have an opportunity to throw some extravaganza but a tasteful party, and to have his girlfriend by his side, even if no one would be aware of that little fact, and to be able to blame their proximity and excuses to dance closer than appropriated for two friends, on the night and the booze. 

For days to come, he had mastered and perfected his outfit, going from one store to another, collecting the best fitting parts to piece together the most incredible pirate costume that side of the Coast had ever seen.

Even though Gus kept prying how he was just over bragging himself, Shawn decided to face it as jealousy from his best friend with who he was supposed to dress up as Cameron and Ferries, and carry on with his decision, getting as secretive as he could around Jules, so she wouldn’t suspect of his choice nor the fact that he had mainly decided for a costume with no references whatsoever to the ’80s or any other important cinematographic piece because he discovered that she thinks pirates are very sexy. 

All was perfect and merry, his heart open to receive her compliments after the sure to happen deep blush coloring her cheeks, all the while he hoped that she kept her heart open too. 

Juliet, being around him for as long as she has, and now as his girlfriend, had learned a thing or two about keeping things a bit mysterious, just enough to pent up his curiosity to an exciting level in which he would pout like the child he partially was before actually putting some effort in trying to discover the secret she carried and then dropping it after being threatened by her piercing blue eyes and her spell.

**Something is wrong, I can't explain**

**Everything changed when the birds came**

**You'll never know what they might do if they catch you too early**

**We need to fly ourselves before someone else tells us how**

**Something is off, I feel like prey, I feel like praying**

But as the day finally arrived, when all the station was adorned by skeletons and carved pumpkins, an ocean of purple, black, and orange, spiders, and bats hanging from the ceiling, and the most bizarre choice of catering, the worst happened.

Juliet and Shawn fought.

And different from the daily disagreements they had, when either Shawn would huff and pout for five minutes or Juliet would end up laughing and leaving her boyfriend to win that round, they fought hard.

And perhaps, the worst of it was that it wasn’t about something important or a major life decision.

So much it was stupid the subject of their hatred that Shawn, even with his powerful memory, couldn’t pinpoint exactly what brought up the fire laying low inside their hearts or the reason why they started screaming at each other.

What had they fought about?

He couldn’t tell.

The only thing he knew was that, once he set foot in her apartment, there to borrow her eyeliner so he could return to his place to finish getting ready, he realized something was wrong. 

From her living room’s window, he saw a flock of angry birds flash through the sky, setting his stomach in an unpleasant loop, almost as if they predicted the storm about to fall. 

From there all crumbled down and now Shawn found himself sitting alone, grieving over a fight he didn’t even know what was about, divided by the angry icy eyes of his girlfriend from a few hours ago and her angelic portray as she entered the station in her white dress, golden hair cascading in perfect curls, her skin dusted by fine glitter making her glow even under the dimmest light. 

Maybe it was the fact that they had to keep their relationship under wraps, chipping it each time either parts were confronted by people inquiring them about their love life and both having to deny their involvement. 

Or it could be the latest fear building up in Juliet’s heart each time she saw how reckless her boyfriend was, how freaking clueless he could be regarding his own safety and welfare, more concerned in protecting her, who was the one carrying a gun, than himself. It could be also the stubbornness Jules possessed, her closed walls pushing Shawn away when he wanted to be there for her the most. 

Shawn didn’t know.

But there, as some pigeons started to fly near him, their chirping sounding like mocking as if they laughed about his misery, he felt like prey, all the while he prayed for a way to solve that all because he couldn’t live without Juliet, neither wanted to.

**If I run away I'll never know**

**(What you want) And if you go then I'll never grow**

**(I'm undone) Let me slip, let me slide**

**(If you run) I'll be sure to let you fly**

There, alone, he felt tempted to run away, to hop up on his Norton and leave, just to avoid the confrontation, the aftermaths, and consequence of dealing with that fight. 

In other times, when he was younger and didn’t know what love felt like, at least not the love he experiences being with Juliet, Shaw wouldn’t give this consideration a second thought, grasping this decision before he could even process it, one hand fixing his helmet while the other was already at the handlebars, feet ready to start the engineer, as he drove freely to long roads, the sign of Santa Barbara disappearing from his sight in such speed he would only know it was there because of his eidetic memory.

But if he left right now, he won’t ever know how to fix anything else, won’t know how to live again, and, leaving Santa Barbara would be leaving his entire life behind. 

If one day he has to run away again, it will only be because Juliet decided to fly free and solo and not because he can’t handle a stupid fight.

**Something is off, I can't explain**

**You know what I mean, don't you?**

**Something I saw, or something I did that made me like this**

**Could you help me?**

People would say he was overreacting and maybe he was, but Shawn was never the one to deal greatly with emotional situations, especially when it involved some sort of verbal confrontation. Years of hiding behind doors with his ears covered taught him how impossible it is to not listen to something when it is being shouted through hollow walls. 

Worst it is when the person shouting it to you is the one you love the most.

So Shawn would avoid it at all cost, even when something was definitely off, even when he was clearly angry or disappointed, even sad. 

The curse part of owning such a powerful mind was that Shawn could never forget a thing, nor not notice the details, causing him to act on things most people would pass through, unnoticed, leading him to his uncanny behavior and the billions of images piling up each second on his subconscious.

Sometimes his brain would scream for help, when the nightmares waved him hello in a dark night or when he experienced something traumatic. Of course, choosing to follow the career he did, partially built by his father, didn’t help him a bit, but Shawn loved the thrill, loved solving the mystery.

Such a shame it was that he couldn’t solve the biggest of them all.

How to excel at his relationship.

How not to hurt Juliet with his words when he was mad or confused.

In his own spiraling, engrossed by his reasoning, he didn’t notice the light steps, trailed by her sweet scent, approaching his bench, in which he was sitting above, elbows resting at his knees while he buried his face in his palms, ignoring the distant sound of “Monster Mash” playing at some house or car.

“Shawn?”

**I don't want to fight**

He lifted his head, facing those mesmerizing blue orbits, shining, calling him in, vulnerable and teared up, glazed by a sadness Shawn knew he put in there, only causing his heart to constrict more. 

Her broken voice caught his attention immediately.

Despite anything else, she still glowed and he couldn’t help the missing beats in his heart at the vision his goddess of a girlfriend was.

Taking his raised head and unreadable green eyes as her cue to approach, Juliet made her way to the vacant spot on the bench, sitting next to him, facing the park ahead for a few seconds, as if his presence had thrown her off balance for a moment before she returned her gaze at him.

“You left.”

“I… I just couldn’t. Jules, you know I’m not good with …”

“Yeah. I know.”

Silence hovered around them, thick, neither sure of what to say.

“Shawn… I don’t wanna fight. Not with you. I…”

“Why did we even fight?”

His clueless face, reflecting Juliet’s expression, caused her to smile unwillingly.

“I have no idea.”

At this, he couldn’t help but smile too. 

“I guess we….”

“Overreacted?”

He nodded, watching her shift slightly on her seat, fingers brushing her curls gently as she clearly felt some of the weight resting on her shoulders to lift off.

“Look, Jules. I’m sorry for whatever I said or… or did. I…”

“No. I’m the one who should apologize. I don’t know why we fought and then I was so mad at you and I almost didn’t come and then you’re there an-”

Before she could proceed with her rambling, Shawn connected his lips with hers, a tender kiss that silenced her words and troubled heart, soothing her deepest fears as his gentle caress calmed her completely, melting her body inside his loving embrace, his fingertips brushing her cheek and she felt the world around her disappear. 

A moment later he broke their contact, only to plant his lips on her temple, eyes still closed, preserving that moment in his mind, replacing all the terrifying memories with magical ones like this. 

Still, with his hand on the side of her face, Shawn looked at her intently, something that didn’t occur very often but when it does, freezes her body in time, causing her heart to swell at the profoundness she would find in his eyes.

“I just … We don’t know why we fought but, can you forgive me, Jules?”

Her brows knitted, nose scrunching up slightly in that adorable manner that never failed at putting a small grin on Shawn’s lips.

“For what?”

“Despite anything else, I screamed at you, and that is unacceptable.”

At this she genuinely smiled, wide open, glow increasing at the love she felt for that hurricane of a man she had for a boyfriend and best friend.

“Of course. And I should apologize too. Can you forgive me?”

He grinned, his free arm coming to encircle her waist, bringing her closer to him.

“Always.”

Candid and pure, Juliet knew Shawn meant it, was aware of the promise that single word carried in it, and, more than assured that he would keep it forever. 

Feeling the tension around them melt, they connected their lips again, through their kisses conveying and assuring their apologies, sealing their promises and vowing to work things out every single time trouble or disagreement crossed their way. 

Shawn allowed himself to lose in her scent and care, all thoughts of leaving, and birds surmounted by his love for that woman who he couldn’t live without. 

He kissed her lips one last time before planting a short one at the tip of her nose, just to see it scrunch up again, never failing at finding it the most adorable thing, before he laced his fingers with hers, pulling her up with him.

Juliet watched him with adoration, her big round eyes never leaving his and her balance completely compromised as Shawn laced his arms around her waist, his touch melting her completely, causing her to be extremely grateful for his support.

Slowly, they started to move around, swinging at the soundless night, the chill weather still blowing but their connected bodies keeping them warm and cozy. 

Although there was no music, something Juliet made sure to point out, Shawn kept moving them around, a melody of his own lulling them in those soft movements, the birds which once seamed to preach mockeries thought their singing now completing the rhythm of that makeshift song he was composing as they danced through the night. 

With his angel in his arms, in that case, literally, Shawn realized that, maybe, this year’s Halloween was the best he ever had and, even if piles of candy were very appealing, him already planning on stealing whatever Gus managed to snatch from the party, there was nothing better than sharing them, along with his life, time and love, with Juliet.

  
  



End file.
